Help

"Navigation is the key to this enterprise."
- Christopher Columbus

Since there is more than one way to surf a web site, we included several different ways for you to explore ours.

First things first

A few of the most popular services, primarily for individual citizens, are listed right on the front page of the site. You can jump directly to these services and information resources simply by pointing to the desired choice and clicking (for example: Online Services and Featured Sites).

A quick way to get answers to some of the most common questions is to read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. First-time visitors are encouraged to review these questions and answers.

Know what you want, but don’t know where to look?

There are several ways to explore the content of this site to find what you’re looking for. You can enter key words into the "Search" box and click "Go." More detailed information about searching TexasOnline is available by clicking the "Search Tips" link.

The links across the top and bottom of the page will take you to pages that are quite focused, in line with the name of the link such as "Privacy," "Security," and our "Link Policy."

At the left of the screen, you will find a list of subject categories. As you point to each one, you will find that each is the top, most general category in a hierarchy of menus. Pointing to one of these categories will cause a secondary menu to open to the right. Moving your mouse pointer into this menu will allow you to click on a destination category or open yet another menu, depending on the choice. You can find everything in the site through one of these paths.

Browsers

This site was built taking into consideration older browser technologies that are still predominant throughout the Internet today. If you don’t see a menu open automatically as you point to one of these categories, it means you are using an older version of your Internet browser. In that case, you’ll need to click on the category you are interested in. This will take you to another page that displays a series of links. These links will either take you to your destination, or to another page of links, depending on the choice.

You are encouraged to upgrade your Mozilla / Firefox or Microsoft browser to the latest version so that you can take advantage of some of the modern features of TexasOnline.

To upgrade your Mozilla / Firefox browser: http://getfirefox.com/.

To upgrade your Microsoft browser: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/.

If you use an Opera browser, click here to upgrade: http://www.opera.com/download/.

If you are a member of America Online, try this site: http://www.aol.com/.

Adobe Acrobat^TM

As you visit the various links provided you may find information that can be downloaded. Many state agencies and local governments use a .pdf format that must be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader^TM. Click on the link http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html to get instructions on how to download and install the Acrobat Reader^TM.

Browse by Category

Browsing by category is an easy way to navigate TexasOnline and to find Web sites in related areas. You need no special commands or keystrokes...everything is point-and-click.

Suppose you want to apply to a Texas university. Start by pointing to the category Education and Training. That will open a list of sub-categories, from which you could choose Apply to a College. TexasOnline works the same no matter what you are looking for. Start with the most general category and narrow your focus as you go.

As you move from one category to the next, highlighted category names mark your progress. With this path you always know where you are and where you’ve been. You can always go back to any section of the path just by clicking on that section or by using the Back button on your browser.

Search by Keyword

Keyword Search quickly finds specific names, titles and terms within the TexasOnline system. Just type a word or phrase into the search box and click on "Go."

The TexasOnline search engine checks the Web sites within the TexasOnline database. When the process is complete, you receive a list of sites that match the topic of your search, or you can select results that list documents related to your search.

For more detailed information about searching, click the Search Tip link.

Keyword Search Tip: Think big! Don’t worry if you end up with a large number of results, because the most relevant content will be listed first. If you find that your search results are too broad, then go back and add some more specific terms. Remember that you’ll get more precise results by typing "chocolate chip cookie recipe" than, for example, just "cookie" in the search box.

Error Messages

Occasionally, everyone browsing the Internet encounters error messages of one sort or another. We’ll try to explain a few of the more common ones, since the error messages themselves are often hard to understand. Each Internet error message begins with a three-digit number:

301 Moved Permanently. This means the website address has changed from the one listed in TexasOnline. Sometimes your browser will redirect to the new address automatically. If not, click on the new address shown. The editors at TexasOnline try hard to maintain accurate destination links, but occasionally, we miss one. If you encounter this error message on a link you’ve followed from TexasOnline, we’d appreciate it if you’d let us know.
404 Not Found. This is the most common error, and it means the Internet cannot locate the requested resource. If you have typed your destination address, the most likely thing is that you have mistyped it somehow. Correct the address and try again. If you encounter this message while following a link from TexasOnline, again, please let us know, so we can fix it.
503 Service Unavailable. If you see this message, it means the computer that you are needing to communicate with to access the resource you want is too busy to handle your request at the moment. Wait a few moments and try again.

Feedback and Contact Information

We are very interested in your experiences with TexasOnline and ask you to please contact us if you have comments, suggestions, or recommendations to help make the site better. Please review the "Contact Us" link to identify who will best be able to address your suggestions or questions.

Still stuck?

For assistance, you can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week toll free at 1.877.452.9060, or email us at webhelp@texasonlinehelp.com.

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